It’s the perfect place to visit this Halloween
York’s historic streets are full of ghostly tales (Image: Peter Harbour – North Yorkshire Live)
It’s only a few days until Halloween, the spookiest day of the year. A time for ghost stories and creepy tales, many of us will be embracing this annual celebration whether that’s through a fancy dress party or watching adrenaline-fuelled horror films.
Another way to mark Halloween is by visiting haunted locations, and one of Europe’s most haunted cities happens to be only 90 minutes from Manchester, either by car or by train, making it the perfect day trip this spooky season.
A historical city with a history stretching back to 71AD when it was founded by the Romans, it’s not surprising that York has got more than its fair share of ghostly tales which are guaranteed to give you goosebumps.
In fact, York is so jam-packed with haunted places and creepy stories that it was once named the most haunted city in Europe by the International Ghost Research Foundation.
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One of the city’s most famous ghost stories is that of the Treasurer’s House, which stands in the shadow of the Minster.
Treasurer’s House(Image: Paul Farmer / geograph.org.uk)
The story goes that in 1953 an apprentice plumber was installing a new central heating system in the cellars when he heard the sound of a horn growing louder and louder.
He then saw a carthorse appear through the brick wall, followed by a legion of Roman soldiers. It’s thought the ghostly figures were following the route of an old Roman route.
Many of York’s pubs are said to be haunted and The Golden Fleece is reputedly one of the most haunted in the country. One of the spirits which is said to reside there is the ghost of Lady Anne Peckett, who was the wife of York’s Lord Mayor, John Peckett.
York was once named Europe’s most haunted city (Image: Getty Images)
Visitors have reportedly seen her apparition wandering through the pub’s corridors and mysteriously rearranging objects.
Of course it’s not just York’s ghost stories which send a shiver down your spine, the city’s history is full of gore that was very much real.
York is famous for its walls and bars – the gates to the city – but in the 14th and 15th centuries these were the places where heads would be impaled on spikes after hanging, drawing and quartering, a punishment for traitors and rebels.
Even if you don’t believe in ghosts or the supernatural, a walk around the city’s ancient streets is equally atmospheric at this time of the year.
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